The Green Clad Hero
by Radwoman
Summary: Princess Daisy has only been kidnapped once in her entire lifetime,by and evil alien name Tatanga. Luckily,she was rescued by certain red wearing plumber,and hasn't been bothered since. Well,now we can bring the count up to two. But this time,it's not Mario who's coming to save her...


_Author's Note: The Tatanga in this story is the one from the old comics;henceforth,he is human sized,and kinda creepy looking. NOT the short midget from the games.  
_  
On a planet somewhere deep in space...  
"My Lord,the new,really big ship is prepared,and we are ready to blast off."  
"Excellent. Prepare my quarters,we leave at dawn."  
"Yes my Lord." the minion bows and walks away.  
"Ah,these minions are so much better than those hypnotised citizens." the evil ruler said to himself, "Those idiots couldn't manage anything,not even defeat a fat, red-wearing, mustachioed plumber! But THIS time,I shall not fail. I will marry the beautiful Princess Daisy,and become ruler of the Sarasaland Kingdom! And then,with it's vast and powerful army,I shall conquer and rule the world! And NO one,not even Mario,will be able to stop me! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed the evil purple alien,Tatanga.

_Meanwhile,in Sarasaland..._

The Princess Daisy was running around her room,furiously scrambling to get all her sports equipment,clothing,bath products and other personal items into her 3 suitcases,trying to make everything fit and remember what she had forgotten.

"Your Highness," started a very anxious Tokotoko named Chorus,"why don't you consider leaving some of your sports things behind? Surely you won't need ALL of it."  
"Sorry,but I can't. I have no idea what sports Peach and the Bros. might want to play while I'm visiting,and I don't wanna be caught unprepared."

Princess Daisy was in fact going to the Mushroom Kingdom to visit her friend Princess Peach,and she would be staying for a month or two,a personal vacation she thought she deserved after dealing with The Cactus Gang,a notorious bunch of thieves and troublemakers that lived in Sarasaland's deserts. The gang had been causing serious trouble for the last few months. They had been robbing citizens,traders,money transports,and even a few postmen,keeping well needed food,water,money,and mail from the four kingdoms,Birabuto,Muda,Easton,and Chai. After some interrogations,well placed plans,a lot of stress and one incident involving a police officer, a bandit and a circus monkey, she had placed the entire gang in the palace dungeons.

Feeling highly accomplished,she had written to Peach asking if she could stay for a while to relax for a change,and Peach,desperate for some fellow female companionship other than Toadette,readily agreed. Now she was desperately attempting to close her suitcases,having to resort to sitting on the top and all but forcing the zippers closed. Letting out a tired sigh,Daisy slid off the back of the suitcase and landed on her bed.

"Melody," Daisy addressed her personal servant and Pionpi friend, "would you please tell someone to start the royal jet,and start loading my things in the back?"

"Of course Daisy," Melody replied. Being friends with Daisy,she never bothered using the royal titles,and she knew Daisy didn't really like being called 'Your Highness' anyway. "I'll send Tenor up to collect your things." and with a quick bow,she left the room.

Daisy sat up and stretched,looking around her room one final time,checking to make sure she had everything she might need. Her eyes rested on a drawer on her desk,the one with the giant mirror on it. That drawer was rarely opened,as it contained all her makeup and a few other beauty products,which she never used,except on special occasions. And although she knew Peach (probably) didn't have any big parties planned,Daisy felt a strange urge to pack them. It took her a minute,but she realized the reason: Luigi Mario.

Ever since she had met the shy green plumber,she had thought he was sweet and even a little cute,in a boyish way. However,now that she had gotten to know him better,she realized that he was quite good in sports,was a bit smarter then Mario,and he could even jump higher then his older brother. She noticed how he seemed to be a bit kinder to her,yet somehow managed to be a lot shyer around her then to someone like Peach. But she could be mistaken. She had also noticed his looks in a new light,like how his his face would turn into a fierce scowl if he was concentrating on something difficult or really angry,though the latter hardly ever how his blue eyes would glaze over just a little when he was lost in thought,or if in a fantasyland. Huh,now that she thought about it,he seemed to do that when he looked at her a lot,when she wasn't speaking to him. He also seemed to stutter more when she was...nah,she was probably just imagining things.

Shaking her head to clear it,she made a hasty decision and ran over to the desk,opened the drawer,grabbed its contents and stuffed them in her spare purse,one she had in case she lost her regular one. (Which happened a bit more often than she liked to admit.) She would bring it,just in case Peach DID throw a big party. At least,that's what she told herself. She didn't want to admit just yet that she wanted to impress Luigi.

"M'lady,the jet is ready," said Tenor,stepping into the room, "shall I take your bags and help you take off?"

"Yes,please." Daisy said,grabbing the largest of her three suitcases,leaving the Gao the other two.

Going down a few flights of stairs and through a few rooms,the pair eventually reached the courtyard,where the orange jet was waiting,cockpit her things in a compartment in the back,Daisy turned to address Tenor and asked him to fetch Melody. After a few minutes,both the Gao and Pionpi returned.

"You called?" asked Melody.

"Yes," Daisy replied, "I almost forgot that in my absence,I must appoint a temporary ruler to run the kingdom. And you,Melody,are my most trusted friend as well as one of the smartest and kindest people I know. So,with Tenor as witness,I would like to appoint you temporary ruler of the Kingdoms of Sarasaland. Do you accept?"

After a moment of stunned silence,Melody spoke, "Y-Yes,thank you,Daisy."

Daisy nodded her approval,and said, "I trust everything to you,but should you need my signature,advice,or merely have a question,do not hesitate to call,ok?"

Melody nodded.

"Then without further ado,I bid thee farewell," said Daisy with a smirk. She curtsied mockingly,then climbed into the jet. Waving one last time as the hatch to the cockpit closed,the jet rose into the air,and flew off in the direction of the Mushroom Kingdom.

_In a big spaceship somewhere off the coast of Sarasaland..._

"My Lord,we shall arrive in the Sarasaland Kingdom in a mere ten minutes." called a random minion.

"Excellent," Tatanga smiled evilly, "I'll be preparing in my quarters,let me know when we arrive."

"Yes sir!" saluted the minion,and Tatanga walked off.

Tatanga was very happy,to say the least. Not only was he going to rule the entire world,but he would also get to marry the lovely Princess Daisy. He sighed,thinking of her. At first,he had only planned to marry her due to her princess status. But that was before he laid his eyes on her. With her cerulean blue eyes and auburn-colored hair,she seemed like an angel from the heavens. But what got him completely hooked,was her spunk.

Tatanga came from a race of somewhat hostile creatures,where the weak and shy were killed and eaten. It was this that made him pass over the Mushroom Kingdom on his first trip,when he heard how weak and quiet Princess Toadstool was. Beautiful,smart,and a good cook,yes,but not at all outspoken or rough. He also wasn't in the mood to deal with a giant turtle-dragon-lizard-thingy,who would probably fight for her. Daisy,however,was the opposite. She spoke her mind and even had the spunk to threaten him when he had first taken her. She was smart,beautiful,rough,and seemed to fear nothing. A woman after his own heart. Who cared if her cooking wasn't the best in the galaxy,he had chefs to cook for him!

Upon entering his room,he turned to the closet,getting out his most expensive suit. He had to look good for his girl,after all. The suit was black with a single white stripe running up and down his arms and legs,with a pure black boots. He considered putting on a tie,but thought it a bit much. He raised a hand to fix his hair,when he remembered he didn't have any.

Moving over to the full-body mirror on the wall,he checked himself out. He grabbed some daisies from the vase on the dresser and took a deep breath.

"Why hello,Daisy," he said into the mirror,in what he called his smooth and sexy voice, "fancy seeing you here. I must say I'm honored to be in your beautiful presence once more..." he shook his head. "Nah,too old-fashioned. How about...Well hey there Dais,long time,no see. How've you been? Good,that's good. Listen,how 'bout you me a favor and become my bride?" he shuddered after that. "Oh no,that's way too snobbish. What am I,a gangster? Some wanna be who can't get a girl without a cheesy pickup line? No. Ok,how about...Hey baby,how you been? I've been great,really great. Hey,how 'bout you and me go in the back and...discuss a few things? I really need to ask you something babe and-"

"My Lord!" cried a minion,bursting into the room.

"AAHH!" Tatanga jumped and turned towards the door.

"KNOCK! KNOCK ON MY DOOR NEXT TIME BEFORE ENTERING MY ROOM,YOU WORTHLESS IDIOT! WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE SO IMPORTANT,THAT YOU WOULD COME AND INTERRUPT ME?"

"I-I'm sorry M-My Lord,i-i-it's just,the r-royal j-j-jet from Sarasaland,i-it's t-taken off,and we-we've confirmed that the princess is in-inside." stuttered the shaking minions.

"Really? Well then,I suppose I won't kill you then. Where is the jet heading?"

"Looks like towards the Mushroom Kingdom,sir."

"Drat!" exclaimed Tatanga,pounding his fist in his palm, "that's where Mario lives! If she lands there,we'll never be able to grab her without him noticing!"

"So what shall we do,My Lord?" asked the minion.

"Hmmm...I got it! You did instal the tractor beam in the bottom of the ship right?"

"Well,not me,but I think someone did..."

"Excellent! We'll simply fly above her,and pull her and her jet onto this ship! Then Mario will never know!"

"Very good sir,very good idea!"

"Of course it is,you idiot,I came up with it! Now go tell the men in charge of it to ready the tractor beam. I'll be down to give firing orders shortly."

"Yes sir!" the minion saluted and turned to go.

"Wait!" cried Tatanga.

"Yes sir?" asked the minion,turning back around.

"You didn't hear or see anything when you came in,did you?"

"No sir,of course not,sir."

"Good. Carry on."

"Yes sir." the minion turned and left,giddy with the new gossip information that the Great and Mighty Tatanga practices lame pickup lines in front of his mirror.

_Meanwhile,in Daisy's Jet...  
_Daisy was playing her Ipod with her headphones in. She didn't need to as she was the only one in the jet,but she did anyway. Rock music blaring at top volume,she didn't hear the little buzzer noise signaling something big was approaching from above her. She did notice the sudden change in light as the ship was directly over her,blocking the sun,but passed it off as clouds,for Mushroom Kingdom was not always as sunny as her own kingdom. In fact,she didn't notice anything was amiss,until her jet was surrounded by a green light and she had the sensation she was going up. Finally looking above her,her mouth dropped open when she saw the giant spaceship drawing her in.  
"Oh PLEASE don't let this be who I think it is..." she groaned,and the jet entered the ship.

She was officially kidnapped.

_Meanwhile in the Mushroom Kingdom..._

Princess Peach Toadstool was standing in the courtyard,looking at the sky,waiting for her dear friend Daisy to arrive. On her left side stood her trusty advisor Toadsworth,who had insisted he be here to greet the Desert Princess. On her right stood the famous Mario Bros,though the one in green was clearly more nervous than his older brother.

When he and Mario had gotten a call this morning informing them that Princess Daisy was coming to visit today,poor Luigi had spent hours rushing about the house. He showered,cleaned his shirt,hat,overalls,and even his underwear before putting them on. He shined his shoes,spent an extra ten minutes on his hair,and brushed his mustache. He brushed his teeth three times and put on a little cologne,and rushed into the kitchen,where he spent the next four hours baking and decorating the "perfect" cake.

It was no secret to most citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom that Luigi was madly in love with the flower princess,and Mario just so happened to be one of those people,which is why Luigi had to suffer through a lot of teasing and innuendos all day.

"Ya know Weeg," started Mario,glancing at Luigi from the corner of his eye, "I thought that it was Peach's job to make cakes,not yours."

"Oh shut up Mario." snapped Luigi,blushing.

"Now now,boys,no need to fight." said Peach,ever the peacekeeper, "There's no need to tease Luigi just because he baked a beautiful cake for Daisy. I think it's sweet,and I'm sure Daisy will love it." she added,sending Luigi a smile.

Luigi's blush increased,and he looked down at the cake. It was nothing special in his eyes,just a chocolate cake with vanilla icing. It had on orange border along the top and bottom of the cake,and Daisy's symbol,a flower,was carefully constructed in the middle of the cake. Above and below in the picture in Luigi's best icing-cursive were words that said, "Welcome back Daisy!"

"Princess Daisy seems to be running a bit behind schedule." stated Toadsworth,glancing at his pocketwatch.

"What do you mean?" asked Peach.

"Well,I recieved a call from Miss Melody telling me the the Princess left around 10 o'clock this morning. It is only a two hour flight by jet,and my pocketwatch tells me that it is well past noon."

"That is strange. I wonder what could be keeping her?" Peach asked thoughtfully.

_On Tatanga's ship..._

Daisy was escorted to the bridge,after having been forced out of her jet and into a pair chained hand cuffs. Flanked by two guards and led by two more,she was NOT a happy princess. When the doors to the bridge opened,her mood only grew worse. It was the one...thing she never wanted to see again. The only thing that had somehow managed to take her prisoner...twice now. That stupid purple alien,Tatanga.

"Daisy! What a wonderful surprise! How have you been,my desert flower?" asked Tatanga in a cheerful and obviously fake surprised voice.

"I've been better,and I'm NOT your 'desert flower'." Daisy replied haughtily.

"Oh? And what has you in such a mood? In couldn't be me,could it?" he asked innocently.

"Well,getting kidnapped by a giant purple freak tends to put me in a bad mood." Daisy responded coolly.

"Now now dear,there's no need to use such harsh words- "

"Dear? Since when have you the right to call me dear?"

"Oh,I do seem to be getting a little ahead of myself don't I? Well,Daisy darling,the reason I have...called you up here is to offer you something you can't possibly refuse."

"If this is how you call someone I'd hate to see your description of kidnap. And what offer?"

"Well,Honey Flower,I offer you a marriage proposal. If you accept,not only will you have me as a loving husband,but we shall rule the Kingdoms of Sarasaland together. And,with its vast and powerful army,we shall conquer all the other kingdoms of the world. Who knows,perhaps we'll become so powerful we'll be able to conquer every Kingdom in the universe! Together,you and I could become the most powerful beings in existence! A happy couple,as we rule together. Of course,we'll eventually need little heirs to our thrones,but we can discuss that topic later,in a bit more...private area." he ended his speech with a huge grin and a suggestive eyebrow raised.

"EEEEWWWW!" Daisy exclaimed,turning slightly green, "ew ew ew ew ew! Oh god,the images! Oh I think I'm gonna be sick! Don't ever mention that again! Ugh,groooooooss! You are sooo NOT touching me like that!"

"I don't see the problem here...?" Tatanga said,slightly confused.

"Let me explain this to you slowly,so your tiny brain can process it,ok? I'm. NOT. Going. To. Marry. YOU. I'll say it again. I'm NOT going to marry you! There's no way in hell I would ever marry you,or give you my kingdom. I don't want to be Queen of the World or Universe or whatever! Especially not as your queen! Even if we were the last two beings in existence I STILL wouldn't marry you! So you'd better let me go,and get your butt back to whatever low-life,trashy planet you came from,before I kick it there for you!"

"..." Tatanga stared at her open mouthed,wide eyed,in complete thought she had finally scared some sense into him,when he started to laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHA! There's that cheeky girl I love! Now here's a girl that knows how to threaten somebody! You got spunk,and I like that! So,when shall we begin the ceremony?"

Daisy stared at him in anger and disbelief. "Are you really THAT stupid? I just said I'm not going to marry you! I'm not trying to 'impress' you or anything,I'm dead serious. I'd rather die than marry you!"

Tatanga narrowed his eyes, "Fine. If you're going to be difficult,then I'll just leave you to mull things over in your room. Hopefully you'll see reason and agree to become mine." he smiled as if she were just being childish,and refusing him as a game they were playing. Daisy was led off by the guards,but she sent a glare back in the alien's direction before leaving the bridge. She was escorted down a few hallways,all of which looked exactly the same,until they reached a door at the end of the 6th hallway,painted orange.

"This will be what Lord Tatanga calls the 'Single Room'. You will stay here until after the wedding ceremony." informed one of her guards. Unlocking the door,they pushed her inside. After it closed,she assumed it was locked again,so she took the opportunity to look around.

Her room had the walls painted orange,and had a dresser with a mirror attached to it in the corner. The bed was easily the biggest thing in the room,king-sized with orange and yellow bedding,with orange see through curtains draping from the top frame. Sitting on the mattress she realized the sheets,blanket,and pillow cases were all silk. Looking on the right side of the bed was a small table,which held an alarm clock and a vase full of beautiful daisies. On the left side were her suitcases,all which seemed unopened and untouched,other than being dragged up here. She sighed,and walked over to them,opening one and pulling out a nightgown. She put it on and climbed into bed,hoping to get a good rest before having to deal with the purple alien and trying to find any way to escape. Although she was normally a very optimistic person,she had a feeling she was gonna be stuck here for a while...

_Meanwhile,back in Sarasaland..._

Melody was not having the best of days.

Shortly after Daisy had left,word had gotten around that she had been appointed temporary ruler in Daisy's place. Soon she had been bombarded by councilmen,guards and commoners,all with problems for her to fix or papers for her to sign. She had a headache from all the yelling in the council meeting that took place that afternoon,and her back was stiff from sitting in that giant throne in the main hall for the past three hours,listening to the problems and complaints from the people. She never knew Daisy had it this hard. No wonder she needed a vacation.

As she returned to her quarters and crawled into her bed,she just had time to think "Well,it's not like it could get any worse-" when the explosion knocked her down.

"What was THAT?" she cried,as she stood up.

Another explosion almost knocked her back onto the floor.

A Tokotoko burst into the room,waving his arms and yelling madly "MELODY! MELODY! THE CASTLE IS UNDER ATTACK!"

"What? By who?" asked Melody,beginning to freak out a little.

"We believe it is the return of Tatanga!" cried the Tokotoko.

THAT brought anger in the Pionpi. She remembered being hypnotized by the purple freak,being forced to betray Daisy,to become his slave. Well not this time.

"Rally the troops!" she exclaimed "Send out every available man and woman we have! Use every weapon we got! Do all it takes to make sure that son of a koopa stays outta here! Send E.T. home dammit!"  
"Ma'am yes Ma'am!" the Tokotoko saluted,and hurried to fulfill his orders.

"In the meantime,I've got to make an important call..."Melody murmured to herself as she picked up her bedside phone.

_Meanwhile in the Mushroom Kingdom..._

After waiting outside for hours,the Princess,Mario Bros,and Toadsworth had grown tired and decided to continue waiting inside,as the nights were somewhat cold. They were all in the parlor,sitting on lush,comfy furniture and sipping tea in front of the warm fireplace. The cake Luigi had made was safely stored in the kitchen,so no one else would eat it and it wouldn't spoil. Currently they were discussing the next Mario & Sonic Olympics,wondering who would enter which contest and making bets on who would win if two specific people went against each other in specific competitions.

"Toadsworth? There's an urgent call for you!" called a Toad as he entered the room.

"Really? From who,my boy?" asked Toadsworth.

"Some girl named Melody. Says she's from Sarasaland." replied the Toad,shrugging.

"Oh my,well I suppose I should go and answer it,yes? Excuse me,Princess, Masters Mario and Luigi,I shall return in a moment." Toadsworth hopped out of his chair and followed the younger Toad out.

"Hello?" he said as he picked up the receiver.

"Hello? Can you hear me? Is this Toadsworth?" asked a feminine voice.

"Why yes it is,how may I be of assistance?" replied Toadsworth.

"HELP! SEND THE MARIO BROS,WE GOT TROUBLE!" the girl screamed.

"What what? Send them where? What kind of trouble? Who are you?" he asked,concerned.

"I'm Melody,temporary ruler of Sarasaland in the absence of Princess Daisy. You have to send the Mario Bros,we're under attack! Hurry,please,help us!" Melody cried.

"Yes,of course,I'll send them right away. How much longer can you last?"

"Not long,they have laser guns and blowing everything up! Hurry,please,before-HEY! Let go of me! Let go!" The call disconnected.

"Miss Melody? Miss Melody!" cried Toadsworth. There was no answer.

"MASTER MARIO! MASTER LUIGI!" yelled Toadsworth as he ran into the parlor.

"Toadsworth? What's wrong?" asked Peach,concerned.

"IT'S SARASALAND! IT'S UNDER ATTACK!" screamed Toadsworth.

"What?' cried Luigi,jumping up, "By who? For how long? What's going on,is Daisy ok?"

"I don't know Master Luigi,it was not Daisy who called. And the call was disconnected before I could get any information on the attackers,other than that their weapons are laser guns." replied Toadsworth.

"It wasn't Daisy? Then who was it?" exclaimed Luigi.

"Someone named Melody. She claimed to be the temporary ruler of the Kingdom,while Princess Daisy was gone."

"But why would she say that? Daisy can't have left yet,otherwise she would have been here by now." said Peach,a bit confused.

"Maybe..." started Mario, "maybe something happened to her on the way here."

A tense silence fell over the group.

Luigi smacked his fist in his palm, "Look,we'll figure it all out later,but right now,Daisy's Kingdom,her people,and possibly Daisy herself are all in danger,and we need to set out to help them! The longer we wait here,the worse it gets there. We have to leave now! Come on Mario!"

"You're right,Weegie,but I think you should go alone." said Mario.

"WHAT?" cried everyone else. Mario,not helping someone in danger? Especially when that someone was one of his friends? It was unheard of. Unnatural.

"Luigi,I think it's time you man up. This is your woman,YOU deserve the chance to save her,alone. It's YOUR chance to shine. I've had my fair share of adventures,now it's time you had one. You've already proved you can do it,remember when you saved me from those ghosts in the mansion? I believe I you Weeg,and trust me,I wouldn't send you out there alone if I didn't think you couldn't handle it. Besides,this could be some ploy by Bowser. Hiring 'Melody' to pretend to be in Sarasaland and in danger,and when we're investigating,he comes to take THIS Princess. I need to stay here and protect Peach,just in case." he added,grabbing said Princess's hand.

"B-But...but I-" stuttered Luigi.

"Master Mario's quite right,Master Luigi," stated Toadsworth, "and if indeed it is a ploy by Bowser,there is still the fact that the Princess Daisy's whereabouts are currently unknown to us. She could be in danger,and we can't have two princesses go missing,can we?"

"You can do it Luigi." said Peach, "Daisy always believed you could do great things,and so do I. We all,believe in you." she smiled sweetly.

Luigi nodded, "You're-you're right,it's time I took matters into my own hands. So long guys,and wish me luck."

And with that,he left.

_Back on Tatanga's ship..._

Daisy was bored.

You really think that a guy trying to get a girl to marry him would provide better entertainment right? Apparently he was "punishing her" by giving her the silent treatment or something. Daisy saw it as a blessing.

She had woken up from her nap quite refreshed,and ready for an escape plan. As she assumed,the door was locked. So her plan was simple; wait for the guards to come,knock them out,steal their keys,sneak around until she found her jet,and get the heck outta here. Problem was,the guards never showed up.

She didn't know what the plan was,but she guessed Tatanga was thinking something along the lines of 'If I ignore Daisy long enough,she'll get lonely and recognize her desperate need for me. Then,I'll come in and ask for her hand again,and she'll eagerly accept.' Well,if that's what he thought,he had another thing coming.

So here she was,lying in bed,staring at the ceiling,wishing that something would happen,just to make things more interesting. Zoning out,she jumped at the sound of the door opening. As she guessed,Tatanga stood in the opening,smiling evilly.

"Hello Daisy dearest,how've you been?" he asked innocently.

"Oh not too bad," Daisy said sarcastically, " I've just been kidnapped by a idiotic purple freak who wants to marry me,yet can't get it through his thick skull that it's not gonna happen. What about you?"

"Oh ho,what a humor my little wife has." Tatanga chuckled.

"How many times must I tell you I am NOT. YOUR. WIFE!" Daisy yelled,exasperated.

"Oh,but you will be." said Tatanga,shaking a finger at her and smiling cockily, "You see,I now have the proper terms to...persuade you."

"Oh yeah?" Daisy asked,raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms, "And what's that?"

Tatanga moved aside,revealing the three figures behind him. The two on the left and right were obviously more of Tatanga's henchmen, but the person between them was not. in fact,she was chained up,her wrists cuffed together,cuffs on her ankles,a single chain connecting them. She was scraped and bruised,it was easy to tell she hadn't gone down without a fight. Though there was a cut on the side of her head that was bleeding profusely,she had most likely been hit on the head with something hard enough to knock her out,resulting in her capture. But even through her injuries,Daisy easily recognized the poor girl in chains.

It was her dear Pionpi friend,Melody.

"Melody!" cried Daisy,as she knelt by her friend, "Oh my goodness,are you alright?"

"I-I am fine,D-D-Daisy." replied Melody with some difficulty.

"What did you do the her?" asked Daisy,outraged,as she turned to Tatanga.

"Me? Well,I did nothing. It was all the doing of my minions. However,that doesn't mean that I can't do anything, You see dear,my minions attacked your precious kingdom the other day,and have managed to take ALL of your subjects prisoners. They are currently residing in your,soon to be our,palace dungeons. If you agree to marry me,they will all be set free,and not be harmed any further. However,should you refuse,every last man,woman, and child will be slaughtered,starting with this one." he pointed at Melody, "So my dear,what shall it be?"

As he spoke,he pulled of ring box from his inside pocket,and opened it. Inside was a beautiful diamond ring,a golden band connected to a huge,glittering gemstone,at least 10 carats.

"I...I" stuttered Daisy,caught in a horrible decision,both with unappealing outcomes.

"No! Don't do it,Your Highness!" cried Melody, "The subjects and I will be fine,please believe me! Just say no!"

"I...I'm sorry Melody,but it can't" Daisy hung her head,and held out her hand to Tatanga. "Tatanga,I Princess Daisy,accept your offer of marriage."

Tatanga laughed and slid the ring onto her finger. "Excellent" he cried, "I'll begin the preparations immediately! And,as a reward and wedding present,I'll even leave your little friend here with you." he snapped his fingers,and the two guards released Melody,removing her cuffs and chains. She immediately ran into Daisy's awaiting arms,and hugged her with all her might.

"See you at the ceremony,my flower," said Tatanga,kissing her cheek. Then,he promptly turned and left,beckoning his guards to follow,and locking the door behind him.

Daisy lay on her stomach on the bed,arms on the pillow and her face in her arms,and began to cry. Not just your typical why-did-this-happen cry,but downright heartbreaking,life shattering, someone-I-love-just-died, sobbing her heart and soul out crying.

Melody climbed up on the bed and sat next to her,rubbing her back.

"Do not despair Daisy," she said in a soft,comforting voice, 'Before I was kidnapped,I managed to get a call to Toadsworth in the Mushroom Kingdom,and asked him to alert the Mario Bros. They'll get here to rescue us all before you have to walk down the aisle to that purple idiot."

Daisy moved her head slightly,just enough so she could see Melody in the corner of her eye. "Y-You think s-s-so?" she asked,sniffing.

"I know so." Melody smiled.

And,for the first time since arriving on the ship,Daisy smiled back.

_Meanwhile,back in Sarasaland..._

Luigi was driving a rented sand-cruiser to Daisy's castle. Flooring the gas pedal,he sped down the road,nervous at what he would find when he arrived. When he did get there,it wasn't as bad as he imagined.

The town had,thankfully looked untouched,but every door was wide open,as were all the windows. There were drag marks in the sand,leading from each house to the direction of the castle. And it was barely recognizable. There were huge,smoking holes in the walls and roof of the palace. Broken glass from the windows lay everywhere,with burnt pictures,broken vases,scorch marks and discarded broken weapons. But worst of all,not a single living being was in sight. There were no dead,not that Luigi could see,but no one alive either. The once beautiful castle has now a deserted wasteland.

Until he heard a muffled thump from below.

"Hello?" called Luigi, "Anyone here?"

The only response was the thumping noise again. It seemed to be coming from below him. So Luigi searched around the remains of the castle until he found the somewhat intact staircase to the dungeons. Climbing down into the darkness,he started shaking as he imagined what kind of horrors would await him when he arrived. The dungeons were wet and smelled of death and decay,yet Luigi plunged on,hoping to find any sign of his beloved Daisy or her people.

Arriving at the bottom of the staircase,he started shaking and praying there was nothing threatening down here. He turned left,following the line of empty cages. He turned the corner,and was greeted by a huge metal door. Luigi tried to open it,but it was locked. So he did what any person would do in a situation like this. He knocked.

The response was a muffled, "Hello?"

"Er,hello?" Luigi called back, "My name is Luigi,and I'm looking for the Princess."

"Oh we can tell you where the Princess is," replied the voice.

"Really? You can?" asked Luigi,excited.

"Of course! As soon as you open the door and GET US OUT OF HERE!" was the reply.

"W-What? Oh,y-yes,of course." said Luigi,blushing. Picking the lock,an old trick he used when pranking Mario when they were younger,he opened the large metal door,glancing at his surroundings. He caught his first glance of the "prisoners",which were actually the Sarasaland citizens. He expected tough guards to be standing around,watching the prisoners and he'd have to fight and steal the keys from,but the keys were on a hook by the door,and Luigi was the only person not in a cage.

"Well?" asked a Tokotoko to his left, "Are you going to free us or not?"

With a start Luigi realized this his was the same voice who had yelled at him before. Blushing deeply,he nodded and grabbed the key off the wall. He proceeded to unlock all the cages,even the one holding The Cactus Gang,which would cause Daisy some major stress and anger later.

"Thanks man," said the Tokotoko, "Sorry for snapping at you earlier,but we were worried about the Princess and really wanted out of there. I'm Flat,by the way."

"Well it's nice to meet you Flat. And don't worry about it,it's my first adventure alone. I'll probably make a lot more mistakes before this is over." replied Luigi,embarrassed.

"Well I hope not!" cried a Pionpi girl, "The Princess is at stake here! And if you fail to save her,we'll be stuck with that purple freak for a king!"  
"What do you mean?" asked Luigi,confused and a little scared.  
"What I mean is,Tatanga,the guy who did all this,has kidnapped the Princess on her way to the Mushroom Kingdom to ask for her hand in marriage. When she refused,he needed leverage,so he attacked the castle. His minions came,destroyed the castle,LOCKED US IN THE DUNGEONS,AND TOOK MELODY! THAT'S WHAT I MEAN! AND YOU HAVE TO GET THEM BOTH BACK,SO GET YOUR GREEN-WEARING BUTT UP THERE,AND KICK THE ALIEN BACK TO WHEREVER HE CAME FROM!" finished the Pionpi,getting very angry at the end for reasons Luigi didn't really know.  
"Ok,OK! I'll save the Princess,there's no need to yell!" cried Luigi,thrusting his hands back and forth in stopping motion.  
"Sorry,but Melody's my sister and I'm worried about her. I'm Ti,by the way." replied the Pionpi shyly,looking down at the floor and blushing.

"That's alright,I understand. Family is important,after how did you know all of that?" Luigi asked.

"Oh,the two minions that dragged me down here were talking about it. They're really stupid." she replied in a sweet voice.

"Is there any way we can help you rescue the Princess?" asked a young male Gao.

Luigi thought for a moment. If what Ti said was true,there would be many guards with highly dangerous weapons. By the time he'd dealt with them all,if he even could,he'd have no strength left over to fight Tatanga,and Daisy would be married to him. Then an idea hit him.

"How are the weapon stocks?" asked Luigi.

"Well,the open weaponry room has probably already been raided,but there are a few hidden ones all over the castle,in case of emergencies." replied a female Pionpi,who looked a bit older than Ti.

"And do all of you know how to use them?" asked Luigi.

"Oh yes. Princess Daisy made sure we were all trained to use them after she was kidnapped the first time,in case Tatanga did the same as Bowser. The only reason those aliens beat us this time was because we couldn't get to the weapons,and didn't have any on us at the time." proclaimed a young Tokotoko boy proudly.

"Good. I want you all to arm yourselves properly,then meet down here ASAP." said Luigi. The citizens nodded and began running out the door.

"Ti! Can you wait here a sec?" asked Luigi.

"Yes Luigi?" replied Ti,turning and walking over to him.

"Would you happen to know of any ships around here large enough to carry a bunch of heavily armed citizens?"

_Meanwhile,in Tatanga's ship..._

Melody had just finished the last zipper on Daisy's wedding dress. It was white,sleeveless,and had two layers,the first being covered in beautiful designs. Daisy's hair was braided down her shoulder,daisies,the flower,braided in as well. her necklace was made of diamonds,with dangling earrings to match. She wore a pearl bracelet,and white heels that matched the dress. Daisy admitted she looked very beautiful,though she would give up all of her looks and talents just to be able to get out of marrying the alien freak that awaited her in the ballroom. Apparently Tatanga really had built this ship just for his plan. He had even gotten priest beforehand to perform the ceremony.

There was a knock at the door,and one of Tatanga's servants,thankfully female,entered the room.

"The ceremony begins in five minutes,your highness." she said,and left.

"Five minutes" Daisy whispered. In five minutes,she'd be married to a monster. In five minutes,she'd be a queen,with a dictator king. In five minutes,she would no longer to be able to ignore his advances,unable to run anymore. In five minutes,she would be unable to be saved,even by the Mario Bros. In five minutes,her life would end. In five minutes,she was doomed.

"It'll be alright Daisy," said Melody softly,rubbing her hand, "Everything will turn out fine,you'll see."

"Thank you,Melody,but there is no hope left for me." Daisy said,a few tears trickling down her face, "I know you wish for the best,so do I,but not even Mario could save me now."

Melody looked at her sadly,and wiped her tears away. "Now now,it cannot be all bad. Perhaps one day,you will be able to escape him. Or the Mario Bros will come and kill him for you,and rid us of him forever. Perhaps-"

Melody was cut off by the sound of the clock. It was time. Daisy sighed,looking into the mirror once more,and turned to the door. She walked over to it just as it opened,revealing the rare female minions that would walk down the aisle before her. Melody fell behind Daisy,and patted her arm in comfort. After what seemed like a few short seconds,they arrived at the door leading to the ballroom. From inside,they could hear an organ begin to play. The doors opened,and the minions walked through it. Daisy waited a few seconds,then she and Melody followed them.

The sight was wonderful,yet truly horrible at the same time. The ballroom decor was what made it wonderful,the entire place seemed to be made of gold. The walls,the floor,and the small arch that towered over the place she would be wed. The aisle she walked on and drapes on the windows,however,were red. The priest sent to wed them looked truly terrified,and Daisy was surprised to see he was a Toad,not a minion like she'd expected. It seemed he too,was being forced to do something he didn't want to,if the sympathetic and slightly guilty expression he gave her was any clue.

There were flowers everywhere,of all sorts, all colors,but most were daisies. It would've been perfect - if not for the person waiting for her at the alter.

With a slight blush,thankfully hidden in her make up and the lighting,she realized that she had always dreamed of the perfect wedding with the perfect man. At first he was a mysterious stranger,a person with no name or face. Now,she realized,that man was Luigi Mario. She wished he was here to save her. To burst in,defeat Tatanga,sweep her off her feet,and kiss her before (or after,she could live with both) taking her to the safety or her-now ruined-kingdom. She wanted to rule it by his side. But as she reached the alter,she remembered now that it would never happen. It could never happen,not now that she was forced into an unhappy,loveless,forced marriage.

"Dearly beloved," began the priest, "we are gathered here today to witness the bond between Princess Daisy and Lord Tatanga. If there is anyone with a reason these two should not be wed,speak now, or forever hold your peace."

"I OBJECT!" yelled someone.

There was a collective gasp,and everyone in the room turned towards the area the voice had come from. There was definitely someone there,but the figure was in the shadows of the curtain in the corner. There were various looks of shock,determination,confusion,and even terror on the faces of the guests. Tatanga looked furious,astounded someone had spoken out against his wedding. Melody looked hopeful and confused at the same time. But only Daisy looked happy. She was overjoyed,relieved. She knew that voice anywhere.

It was the voice of her beloved green plumber,Luigi.

"YOU DARE INTERFERE WITH THE UNION BETWEEN MY LOVELY DAISY AND MYSELF?" yelled Tatanga.

"Oh,not just me." replied Luigi,stepping in plain view of everyone. "I have a few friends with me who also object to this 'union'." Placing his fingers in his mouth,he gave a long,loud,clear whistle. That was obviously the signal for all hell to break loose.

All at once,there was shouting and screaming,as hoards of Pionpis,Tokotokos, and Gaos,screaming bloody murder and attacking all of Tatanga's minions with various weapons. Taken by surprise,the minions didn't stand a chance. Daisy saw minions go down left and right,and noticed with a smile that Melody's sister,Ti, had freed Melody from her bonds and the two were leaving the ballroom. A quick glance to her right and she noticed with warmth filling her heart that her dearest Luigi was a bit slowly,but surely making his ways towards her. Unfortunately,Tatanga noticed it too.

With a cry of rage,he quickly turned to Daisy,grabbed her around the waist,and flung her over his shoulder,despite her loud protests and struggles. He then ran towards an exit that was previously hidden behind a now torn curtain,Daisy kicking and pounding on his back the entire time,demanding her release her. It didn't seem to bother him,he just kept running.

"LUIGI! HEEEELP!" she cried,as Tatanga ran down the hall.

"Hang on Daisy,I'm coming!" was the shouted reply she heard. She looked over her shoulder to try and guess the location they were heading,but she had never been down this particular hall before.

"Let me go,you purple idiot!" Daisy cried,struggling again in an attempt to free herself. Her fists pounded his back with all her might,and her flurry of kicks beat his chest. She even managed to hit his face in one of those kicks,and was very pleased by the resulting grunt of pain.

As he slowed to turn a corner,she saw with delight that Luigi was coming up behind them,and catching up fast. She gave him a large smile and blew him a kiss,hoping it would encourage him to go faster. It seemed to work,as Luigi came closer,with a slightly redder face. Whether it was from a blush or lack of oxygen,she couldn't tell.

As Tatanga turned another corner,she realized he was heading to the room that held her jet. He was going to use that to try and escape! There is no way she'd just stand by and let that thing fly HER awesome jet. So she decided to stall him.

"Oh Tatanga,sweetheart." she said in her sweetest voice "I'm getting a little tired of you carrying me like this,and it's starting to hurt my front. Why don't you put me down so we can run together,you MUST be tired from running so hard for so long,and that green plumber is way behind us,he'll never catch up!"

Tatanga seemed to be considering it as he slowed down,and eventually came to a stop.

"Well,I don't see why not." he said,and he gently put her on the ground in front of him. Taking her opportune moment,she kicked him as hard as she could in that one special place that made men hurt most. While he sank to the group,writhing in pain and clutching the offended area,she ran towards the hangar,where she planned to climb into her jet and lock it from the inside until Luigi came to get her.

She made it just in time too,as angry Tatanga raced in a mere second after the hatch had closed and the lock clicked. He bellowed with rage when he saw her,and raced to the hatch. After he unsuccessfully tried to pry it open,he began pounding on the hatch,trying to break the glass. Scared for once in her life,Daisy scooted as far as she could from Tatanga,hugging her knees to her chest,tears streaming down her face. With his alien strength,it was only a matter of time before he broke through,and then she would be at his mercy.

Another fist later,the glass cracked. He hit it again,and the crack spread. Daisy covered her face in her hands,she couldn't bear to look. She braced herself for the sound of glass shattering,and then he would climb in and fly away with her,and probably punish her later. But it never came. What did come was a loud bang,like the sound of metal striking something hard. Daisy peeked through her fingers just in time to see Tatanga fall to the ground,and see Luigi standing behind him. In Luigi's raised hand was a metal pipe,which would explain the metallic bang. He seemed to be in shock,staring down at the unconscious form of Tatanga.

Daisy slowly crawled her way over to the side Luigi was on and unlocked the hatch. The sound of it seemed to snap Luigi out of his trance,and he quickly looked at her. He took note of her cautious and somewhat fearful expression,as well as the tears that were still streaming down her face. He slowly opened the hatch,as if he was afraid he'd scare her off if he moved to quickly. She moved aside to make room for Luigi to sit next to her. He climbed in slowly,never breaking their gaze. It was only when he was seated and had wrapped his arms around her shoulders that she let her feelings out. She began sobbing uncontrollably,burying her face in the crook of her neck.

"Oh Luigi," she says as soon as she can speak, "Thank you so much. I thought I'd have to marry that disgusting excuse of a man."

"You know I'd always be there to help you." he replied with a smile.

"So,what happened to the subjects? How are we getting out of here?" asked Daisy.

"By now,all of your subjects are flying back to Sarasaland in the biggest working airship we could find. As for you and me,I think we should tie up this knucklehead and then fly your jet to the Mushroom Kingdom."

Daisy nodded, "Ok,sounds good."

Together they tied up Tatanga and threw him into a nearby supply closet,and Daisy slammed a metal bucket over his head as hard as she could,clearly pleased at the loud bang it resulted.

"What was that for?" asked Luigi.

"Self-satisfaction" she replied slyly.

They made their way back to the hangar and climbed into the jet,Daisy taking the pilot's seat as she actually knew how to fly the jet. They flew off towards the Mushroom Kingdom in silence,until Daisy remembered something.

"Aw,nuts!" she moaned.

"What?" asked Luigi,startled.

"I forgot to give you your reward!" she said,slapping her hand on her forehead, "Sorry Weeg,this only being the second kidnapping and all I totally forgot!"

"T-That's ok,you don't have to give me anything" said Luigi nervously.

"Oh but I do!" pressed Daisy, "Tell you what,as soon as we get to Peach's castle,I'll bake you a nice big cake,how's that sound?"

"That'd be great Daisy,thanks!" Luigi smiled.

"Oh and one more thing..." Daisy peered slyly at Luigi form the corner of her eye,her tone somewhat suggestive.

"Um,w-what?" Luigi stammered.

His answer came in the form of a long,passionate kiss.


End file.
